More sensitization needed on taxi parks and markets management contracts
Feb 26, 2016
Government evoked the provision of reservation schemes in the amended PPDA Act which came into force in March 2014 to direct that the management of taxi parks and markets across the country be reserved for those that operate in them.
Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) boss Cornelia Sabiiti has said there is need for more sensitization on the new government policy on the award of contracts for the management of taxi parks and markets.
Government evoked the provision of reservation schemes in the amended PPDA Act which came into force in March 2014 to direct that the management of taxi parks and markets across the country be reserved for those that operate in them.
A cross section of people attending PPDA workshop on procurement policies
"For you to manage a taxi park and market, you need to form a cooperative. The reason why government took this decision is because taxi parks and markets are potentially politically divisive. What some clever people were doing was that they were going as businessmen, bid for the management of a taxi park or a market even when they have no taxi in the park, or stall in a market," she said.
Speaking at a dialogue on public procurement organized by the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda today at Hotel Africana in Kampala, Sabiiti said the decision was made to curb the notorious conflicts over the management of taxi parks and markets across the country.
"They do so that they can have a center of control for votes. So instead of using these markets as a political tool, government decided to use this as an economic empowerment tool."
A reservation scheme is an exception to the general rule that public procurement shall be open to all bidders.
PPDA, in consultation with other relevant stakeholders, like Ministry of Local Governments on taxi parks and markets, is mandated to specify the public procurement contracts to be subject to a reservation scheme.